


Starker Stories

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coffee, Good Peter, M/M, Paparazzi, Peter is a Little Shit, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Tony Stark, Sassy Peter, Shopping, Short One Shot, Sugar Daddy, is wealth kink a thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-26 21:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16689682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: short stories of Peter and Tony;1) Sugardaddy!Tony buys Peter a suit for a party2) Tony and Peter help each other recover after IW, and it leads to Peter's confession3) Peter makes Tony coffee, the paparazzi makes companies money





	1. Pink Honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> inspired by this photo~  
> title from Houses ❤️

Peter knew that Tony didn't have a problem with spending money, and Peter knew he secretly hoped that Tony would buy him things. He daydreamed about his own car ever since he borrowed Flash's, even though that had been a terrifying experience. He daydreamed about Tony buying him ice cream, Star Trek merch, video-games. However, Peter didn't expect those dreams to come true, because he couldn't really take Tony's money. The suits themselves, Peter had only accepted because they were just so cool and it wasn't like anyone else could wear them (comfortably, at least). Peter didn't know what he'd do, didn't know how he could ever repay Tony if Tony were to give him a car or apartment, or anything like that.

Soon, though, and ever so slowly to where Peter almost hadn't noticed, Tony had begun to buy him things. It was little stuff, like a burger or a smoothie. After Peter became an official Avenger, he had been taking trips to the Avengers compound, and Happy would stop at McDonald's or Burger King sometimes. Peter had tried to protest until Happy said, "It's the boss' money, kid, so I don't care if you get the whole menu." Also after Peter had become an Avenger, he and Tony spent a lot more time together--dying in someone's arms, or having someone die in your arms, could do that. Spending more time together meant fighting crime together, and fighting crime meant burning calories, and that meant two hangry superheroes walking into the local fast food restaurant or stopping at the nearest food truck. 

At this point, Peter had been a little worried that Tony was spending too much on him, but Tony would simply say "forget it" or "you need the food, kid". 

It _did_ become too much when Peter decided to stay at the Avengers compound for a few months. Peter had expected a bare room with a bed, and that he could bring some stuff from home to decorate it. Tony had had other plans, had decorated his room for him (it was quite stylish, Peter had to admit, like something you'd see in a magazine or on display at Ikea).

Peter had admitted defeat, knowing Tony wouldn't get rid of it. After some recreational training with Natasha, Peter had retreated to his room and video-called Ned. "I don't get it," Peter had said.

"He's your sugardaddy," Ned said simply, as if discussing the weather. 

"Woah, no, no no, he isn't." Peter held a hand up in protest, but as he thought about it, he realized Ned was right. "Ugh, he is, isn't he?" He sighed while laying on a circular plush chair, spinning on it slowly. He let his legs and arms fall limp, and looked up at the ceiling. "But, I feel like he's everyone's sugardaddy? Black Widow has her own TV in her room. Mr. Rhodes has a new iron suit."

"Still, he's your sugardaddy. If you asked, he'd probably get you anything you wanted."

"That's not true," Peter argued weakly. In truth, they had gotten a lot closer and Ned was probably right. Only a few months ago, Ned would've been wrong, Peter was sure. But now, now Tony was so much more caring, and yes, a little overprotective sometimes. 

Peter bit his lip and looked around his room. He had a Queen-sized bed (which was so nice compared to the bunk-bed at home), had a closet full of clothes Tony had bought him, had a desk, had the plush chair as well as the office chair for the desk, and his room was lined with little odds and ends like figurines and comic books. Peter wondered just when Tony had gotten it. He pictured Tony randomly spotting the items and thinking of him, or scrolling through websites and adding items after items to his cart, fast-shipping included. It was an entertaining thought, in a way that surprised Peter. He hadn't ever cared for the 'daddy' thing, but sugardaddy was...different. Peter couldn't help but indulge in it, wondering just how much Tony would be willing to spend on him.

"Uh, Peter?" Ned asked. "You're zoning out."

Peter stumbled for his phone. "S-Sorry."

After that, Peter had tried to kindly refuse things, but it was hard to when Tony would buy food for everyone. When Peter declined to eat any several times, Tony thought he might be purposely missing meals, so that attempt had ended quickly.

The last straw (or so Peter had thought) was when he, Tony, and Rhodes were to be interviewed. Peter had needed a suit, but he clearly couldn't fit the one from prom even if it had been there at the compound. Tony had dragged him to go shopping, and no protest was working. They took off in one of Tony's Audi R8's, and FRIDAY drove them to a shop. 

Peter was scared. It was all designer, names he hadn't even heard of but ones Tony seemed to know by heart. Peter could only imagine what the prices would be.

He looked nervous, apparently, because Tony chuckled and began to lead him around with his hand on Peter's back. "Here's the size that should fit you," Tony said. "You can try whatever you want."

Peter stayed close to Tony and looked at the suits like they were ready to attack him. "Try?" he echoed. He hadn't done that before, as May knew his size and would adjust it herself at home if it didn't fit exactly right.

Tony smirked--he was clearly amused by the whole thing. He walked up and picked a random suit, then grabbed a white shirt and black tie, "Go try this one on, to get yourself warmed up to try more."

Peter accepted the suit without looking at it, looked around for the dressing room, and hurried over to it. When he was about to put it on, he realized it didn't have a price tag, so he couldn't tell whether he should even bother to try it on. Peter grumbled and willed himself to put it on anyway. It fitted okay, although Peter wasn't sure if he could tell. He was hesitant to walk out. He remembered shopping for school clothes when he was younger, how he always hated having to show May how it looked, and how he always felt so embarrassed and silly-looking. 

When he walked out to show Tony, he felt the same, only worse, for a reason he didn't know.

Tony took off his tinted sunglasses to get a better look at him. He raised an eyebrow, "Do you like it? The interview is going to last a few hours for them to get through us three, so you'll want one that's comfortable."

Peter shrugged. "...I look like a dumb, lanky teenager."

"Oh, don't you look like that all the time?" Tony quipped. "I'm joking, Peter." He turned towards the rack again and went to a different brand, a different color, and pulled one out. "Try this one. Should be comfortable, shouldn't make you look like a middle-aged business man."

Peter took it and went back to the changing room. This one didn't have a price tag either, so Peter could only pray that it didn't cost a fortune. After he had it on, he checked himself in the mirror and found that it wasn't too bad, actually. The suit was a solid-black three piece, a more modern design that wasn't so loose as the one before. The vest looked quite stylish.

Peter fixed his tie, then. He buttoned the suit so that the vest was partially covered, then unbuttoned it, and rebuttoned it as he tried to see what looked better. The black tie was a bit much, made him look too somber.

When he realized that he had kept Tony waiting for a while, he hurried out. When he made eye contact with Tony, he smiled nervously. He stopped and stood in front of him. "I like this one," he said. He held his arms out, glancing at it, then did a little spin. He immediately regretted it, but it had been a habit of doing it around May when he was a kid, to show her that the pants weren't loose or that the shirt wasn't super long. Peter felt his cheeks heat up, "Um, it's nice. I think I'd change the tie, but it fits me good and it's comfortable."

Tony looked at the suit up and down, then stepped close to readjust the collar. "Looks nice on you, Parker."

Peter smiled tentatively. "...Thanks. A-And thanks for buying me a suit, sir, you really didn't have to take me here to get one-"

Tony held up his hand to silence him. "Don't worry about it. You'll use it in the future, so the price is worth it." He gestured to the shelves of shirts and ties that were bagged and ready to be bought as a pair. "A different tie, you said?"

Peter hesitantly nodded, knowing that the shirt and tie would cost Tony even _more_ money. He let Tony lead the way and make suggestions, and they settled on a white shirt with a red tie. A red, intricately-designed handkerchief or pocket square came with it too. 

Peter then had to get the suit adjusted, and even though it didn't take long, Peter felt exhausted by the end of it. He followed Tony numbly, not aware that Tony was paying until he glanced at the screen on the cash register. Peter's eyes went wide. Four, there was four digits before the period. Peter couldn't imagine spending over a thousand dollars on one outfit alone, but here they were. Tony flashed a credit card, handed him the hung suit and the bagged shirt, and headed out the door.

As they left, they walked out to the sidewalk, and Peter made eye contact with someone. It was a stranger, obviously, someone he didn't know. Suddenly, though, he had this weird feeling when they saw him carrying the suit and bag. Peter felt...empowered. He couldn't keep himself from smiling as he got in the Audi parked beside them, and the fact that it was an Audi only made that feeling stronger. Was this how rich women feel after spending all their husband or boyfriend's money on purses or shoes? If so, Peter now understood why they always looked so smug and so _confident_. 

"So, we're being interviewed a block down from a party, I found out. We got invited to it, too." Tony glanced over at him, then, and there's a twinkle in his eye. "I suppose you'd want to go." Tony smirked, "I know you haven't had the whole college parties experience thing yet, and interviews are god awful, so I'd be fine with you going. As long as you have fun. I don't need you to worry about getting connections or smooching off some rich lady. Or guy."

"Why would I smooch off of a guy when I've got you?" Peter laughed nervously. "But seriously, you spend too much money on me, Mr. Stark."

Tony shrugged, and smirked devilishly. "Well, I'm your sugardaddy, aren't I?"

Peter's face went red, and he had to hide his face in his hands. "...You heard that from earlier?"

Tony laughed, "Maybe."

"I'm so sorry, Ned is just like that, I'm- Sorry." He sighed, uncovered his face after a moment and held onto the suit in his lap again. He glanced over at Tony, whose eyes were on the road since he was driving now. Peter wondered just how much Tony had heard, and that's when he remembered what Ned had said after getting him to stop zoning out.

_"Maybe Tony just likes giving money away. He's funded a ton of university projects, right? He probably likes being everyone's sugardaddy; why else would he do it?"_

 Peter stole another glance at Tony, then looked out his window. Ned might have been right, but that didn't mean Peter could be okay with Tony giving his money to him. Well, he wouldn't _ask_ Tony for money, but he couldn't complain too much if Tony did, as Tony never took no for an answer. Plus, he still had that feeling, and he had begun to daydream again. It felt nice, to have people see someone be willing to pay so much for him. Deep down, he wished Tony would get him a ton of stuff, like a gold watch, designer shoes, anything to show off to people.

Peter sighed. He felt like such a douchey person for thinking that, but it didn't stop him from thinking about it.

 

 

 

Later that night, after the interview where Peter had only stuttered once, after the party where Peter had stayed by Tony's side most of the time and restrained from drinking alcohol, and after the three of them had gotten back to the compound and Peter had gone to bed, Tony had sat down on the couch with Rhodes and shared a half-full bottle of whiskey.

Tony had slowly slouched down lower and lower in his seat, and his sunglasses had somehow gotten put on the rim of his glass like an orange slice while his tie had came off and been put around his wrist like a bracelet. 

Rhodes, next to him, seemed glued to the couch's accent pillow. He had discarded his tie and unbuttoned his shirt a little. He ended up staring off into space.

"Rhodey..." Tony said.

"...Yeah?"

"I'm fucked." He looked down and took his sunglasses out of his drink. "That kid..."

Rhodes sighed, "Here it is. I knew it."

"That kid has fucked me...His ass looked great in that suit."

" _Christ_ , Tones."

"I didn't mean literally fucked me."

Rhodes snorted. "I knew that. Why are you looking at a teenager's ass?"

"Eighteen," Tony had to correct.

"Oh, congratulations," Rhodes said sarcastically. "Please tell me you won't do anything."

Tony ignored that, and instead said, "He has a thing for sugardaddies. When the father of the party's host walked by, Peter's eyes lit up like fucking Christmas lights."

"And _you_ want to be his sugardaddy now?"

Tony let out a deep sigh and downed the rest of his drink. "...Something like that."


	2. out of the dark day, into the brighter night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> takes place after Infinity War  
> 

Tony was confused when he woke up to darkness. It couldn't have been later than one in the morning. Figuring he had woken for no reason, he turned and rolled over onto his side, hoping the more comfortable position would help him fall asleep faster. He was still groggy, and was hoping that exhaustion could knock him back out. But as he readjusted himself on his side, his hands brushed against something. Tony opened his eyes and squinted hard. His eyes took a moment to adjust, but soon he could see that Peter was laying next to him, his back to him. 

Tony sighed. He saw that Peter didn't have a blanket over him, so he took his and drew it over them both. He scooted himself closer without really realizing.

Peter stirred, and Tony waited until he knew Peter was awake to say something. He whispered, "...Aren't you a little old to keep climbing into my bed?"

Peter rolled over and faced him, pulling the blanket up to his chin. "Sorry...I couldn't sleep, and your bed is comfier." The kid's voice sounded strained, like he had been crying. Tony couldn't see his face clearly in the dark to check.

"You alright?" 

He didn't get an immediate response, and when it finally came he hadn't expected such a truthful answer. "I had bad dreams...about losing you on Titan. I don't sleep well in my own room. I don't like it, don't like being so far away from you." Peter scooted closer just then. "Please let me stay."

Tony reached out and ran his fingers through the kid's hair. "Of course you can stay. I can move your room closer to mine, if you want. I'll kick Cap out of the room across from mine, how about that?"

Peter chuckled softly. "...I wouldn't want to do that to him. Can I just be your roommate?"

Tony's heart leaped in his chest. "You'd get tired of me. I snore."

Peter laughed quietly, "That's okay."

"With your super hearing? I don't think so." Tony ran his fingers through his hair one more time, then drew his hand away. His eyes had adjusted more, and he could see Peter more easily now. He readjusted the blanket, tucking Peter in. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. "Your dream." 

Tony knew things had been far from great lately. It was hard to talk about, and quite painful to think about. He wanted to make sure Peter was okay, though--wanted to see if there was a way to help the poor kid.

"Well," Peter fidgeted, "can I be completely honest with you, Mr.Stark?"

"Yeah, please."

Peter sighed, and moved his hands under the blanket as he talked, gesturing as he spoke like always. "...I had done my best, and in the end...my, well, death...had to happen in order for us to win. I had been scared, but when I came back I came to terms with it. Sort of. I just...In the soul world, I had been thinking about you. I was so disappointed in myself, because no one can be okay when they see someone die...I was worried you'd take my, uh, end, out on yourself. You always said you'd feel like it was on you if I died." Peter's voice wavered, then, like he was about to cry again. "Maybe my nightmare tonight was payback for making you go through that..."

Tony reached out and dragged Peter close, pulling him in for a hug. Peter let out a surprised sound that would have made Tony chuckle if it weren't for everything the kid had said. "Peter. I'll be completely honest too, alright? The thing is, you're right, I took it out on myself. Partially because I didn't understand Strange's plan at the time, but mainly because I care for you. When you care _deeply_ for someone, and something bad happens to them, you blame yourself, always. Even if it's some friend at school who got a bad grade, you somehow feel like it's your fault, like it's your fault that you couldn't or didn't do anything to help. Peter, I'll always feel responsible for you. But don't beat yourself up, okay? If something happens to you, you can't control how people that care for you will react. You just have to sit back and take comfort that they're even there and that they care so much, maybe even too much."

He drew away slightly to look him in the eye, "And Peter, don't feel disappointed in yourself. You were brave out there, more than I was. Experiencing death, and- and knowing you have to go through that _again_ someday, that takes bravery that I will never have."

Peter started crying, and leaned forward to bury his face in Tony's chest. "...I'm not that great..."

"You are. I know it. Aunt May knows it, your friends do, Cap even does." Tony rubbed circles on Peter's back when the kid began to cry harder. Tony hadn't exactly done this before, hadn't been the comforting type thanks to his father, but he'd do anything to calm Peter down and take his fears away. "I'll get you moved to a closer room, but you can come here whenever you want, okay? Until the nightmares stop, at least."

"Thank you," Peter whispered. He sniffled and drew away. "I'm sorry, I soaked your shirt."

"You're fine, don't worry about it." Tony watched as Peter readjusted himself, trying to settle in again. Peter had been far on the other side of the bed when Tony woke up, but the kid dragged his pillow close, leaving only a little bit of space between them. 

Peter then whispered, "Goodnight, Tony."

Tony's breath caught in his throat. "G- Goodnight."

Tony didn't sleep, though. He stayed awake, staring at the ceiling or at Peter's blanketed form. He had worried that Peter calling him by his name would give him symptoms of PTSD or anxiety, since the first time Peter had ever called him by name was when the kid was dying in his arms. It hadn't been hurting to him though when Peter said his name that night, it hadn't stopped his heart from beating, but rather his heart rate seemed to go accelerate. He wasn't sure why, but he took comfort in the fact that Peter had gotten closer more comfortable with him.

\---

The next night, Tony woke up at eleven p.m. to see Peter beside him again. Tony didn't want to wake him up, since the day had been long and tiring for everybody, so Tony just pulled the blanket up over the kid and put a secure arm around him. When he woke up at eight a.m. that morning, Peter was still there, only the kid had turned around and put his arm around Tony. When he saw this, he smiled and stayed still to let Peter continue to sleep.

\---

Tony had Peter's belongings moved to the free room next to his own, but that didn't seem to be enough, because Peter still ended up in his bed that night. Tony hadn't asked if Peter had had more nightmares, so he didn't know if Peter came to him because of that or of something else. Maybe Peter felt alone, and being away from his aunt and friends certainly wasn't helping. The others at the compound were nice to Peter, but no one was as close to him as Tony had been recently.

As Tony went to try and fall back asleep, Peter stirred. The kid sat up, rubbed his eyes, and squinted through the dark. "Mr. Stark?" He half-whispered. "Are you awake?"

Tony nodded and sat up as well. He turned, and reached towards the bedside table to turn the lamp on. He looked back at Peter, "Nightmares?"

Peter shook his head. He was wearing that ridiculous 'I survived my trip to New York' shirt, which was baggy and slipping down his shoulder from tossing and turning in his sleep. Peter looked exhausted, but he wasn't crying, so that was a good sign. "I'm sorry," Peter said. "I know my room's closer now, but I just can't sleep in there." Peter chuckled dryly, "I'm eighteen and going to your room like a toddler..." 

"Peter, I told you it's okay-"

"But it's not. I...I keep coming here every night because it's the only way that I know you haven't disappeared. We're together nearly all day, but at night we're separated and my brain just can't handle it right now, not with the nightmare, not with what happened, not with these feelings. I worry that you'll leave, for whatever reason, and it's _scary_. I don't know why, because I've been alone before. I should be used to it."

"I'm not going to leave you," Tony promised. "I won't disappear, and if you need to come in here to know that, then fine. If you need to be my roommate, then fine. I can fit another bed in here. Just tell me what you want me to do."

Peter opened his mouth to say something, but he decided against it. "Just let me stay tonight."

"Of course."

\---

The next day, for the second time that week, Steve had spotted Peter leaving Tony's room in the morning. He mentioned it to some of the others, asking if they knew what was up, but no one else had a room at that end of the hall, so they were pretty clueless. Steve ended up going to the kid himself and asked him about it. After a flustered half-truth, the kid had disappeared to his own room and stayed there the rest of the day.

Therefore, Tony slept alone that night. He slept well, but when he woke up and found out Peter wasn't there, he felt lonely.

\---

The next night Peter was already there when Tony went to go to bed. Peter was on his phone, texting ridiculously fast, but stopped when Tony walked in and closed the door behind him. Peter sat up, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt with a witty joke on it, and smiled shyly. "Do you mind if I sleep here tonight?"

Rather than just remind the kid that he could sleep there whenever he wanted, Tony tried to make a joke to rid the tension in the air. "Well, you sleep here so often that it's basically your room. Do _you_ mind if _I_ sleep here?" He chuckled. Then more seriously, he said, "What's mine is yours, Pete."

Peter smiled, and his cheeks got rosy. "Okay." He laid back down and pulled his half of the blanket over him. He went back to texting, and Tony took the opportunity to get dressed. His room was the largest at the compound, but it didn't have its own bathroom, so Tony had to change there. He figured the kid wouldn't mind anyway, and all he had to change was from jeans into pajama pants, since he didn't mind sleeping in his t-shirts.

When Tony was putting tartan-patterned pants on and tied the strings into a bow, he looked over and saw that Peter had been watching him. Peter's eyes widened at getting caught, and Tony could only laugh. He wasn't bothered by it since people had been looking at him for years (he knew he was good looking), but when he climbed into bed he noticed that it felt a little different, and when he turned the lamp off he sort of expected something to happen.

\---

The next night was bad for both of them. Surprisingly, it was not Steve but Natasha who was the first one to trigger Tony, and that in turn triggered Peter. Tony had let himself be engulfed by the Mark 47 (the one he had used to save Peter from the lake), and he had let FRIDAY take control of flight. Peter had freaked out and hurried to get his suit on, and he asked Karen to do her best at tracking Tony down. Peter ended up finding the man at a 7-Eleven; they argued, pushed each other a little, cried, and hugged. Tony silently bought Peter a snack, then carried him back to the compound since it had been hard for Peter to swing there with so little structures available.

When they landed, Steve and Rhodes were waiting for them, and the two were surprised to see an Iron Man suit carrying Peter bridal style as he ate m&ms, his mask off and his eyes red from crying. Tony lifted his faceplate, nodded, and walked Peter inside without a word.

Peter still had to get homework done, and Tony still had to work on finances, and they both had to eat dinner. They went to bed early, though, both changing into pajamas and climbing into Tony's bed. Tony grabbed a holographic tablet and did some work, exhausted but not willing to sleep. Peter sat on the opposite side of the bed, on his phone, texting Ned since he promised to give him updates every day.

"...I'm sorry."

"Me too."

They ended up spooning, lights dimmed to a comforting warmth that made them sleepy but kept them out of a horrific darkness. When Tony thought the kid was asleep, he planted a kiss on his curly hair.

\---

Things oddly got better after their heated conversation in the 7-Eleven parking lot. It seemed that yelling the full truth of their feelings was better than their quiet little talks in bed. Peter's nightmares had been gone for a while, but now thinking about them wasn't as scary or disheartening as usual. Peter figured he could sleep in his own bed just fine now, but the thing was, he didn't want to.

Tony felt less anxious and more focused now. He was handling matters for their little team better, even helped Steve with finding Bucky a close but hidden place to live. He could finally look at Peter without thinking of what had happened on Titan. At least, he could most of the time. He saw that Peter was doing better since they had gotten everything off their chests, and he wondered if Peter would sleep in his own room now. They both probably needed to sleep alone, to have a break at least, but Tony hoped that the kid would drop by that night.

Peter did, dropping by as Tony was on his laptop and engaging small-talk with FRIDAY. Tony gladly invited him in, and Peter sat down on his usual side of the bed, sitting cross-legged in deep blue pajama pants and a plain white tee. He gripped his phone tightly, and watched Tony type away for a while until he was practically bouncing from restlessness. "Uh, Tony? Can I talk to you about something?" Peter had his full attention at that. Peter continued, rubbing the back of his neck and laughing nervously for a moment. "Well, I wanted to talk about something you said yesterday." He waited until Tony nodded, then said, "You told me you loved me yesterday." Peter looked incredibly hopeful, then. "I know we were just spewing things because he were pissed and confused, but, did you mean it?" He scooted closer and turned towards Tony more. Peter had never been shy about these things, was only shy with girls for some reason.

Tony felt peculiar. "Peter, look. I meant it, I care for you, but you don't want me as a father figure, kid. We've seen how that's gone so far."

Peter raised an eyebrow, confused. Then, "Oh! That isn't what I meant. I..." His cheeks got a little pink. "I meant in the _other_ way." Before Tony could react much, Peter gushed, "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable but we've been well technically sleeping together and you're _you_ so I can't help but think about it sometimes, and like you said you aren't a father figure to me but you're still cool and I like you and after what you said I've been thinking about it more and I know-"

"Good _lordy_ Pete, slow down!" Tony slightly laughed and set a hand on Peter's shoulder. He set his laptop aside with his other hand, then turned so he was facing Peter fully. "Now, I only got about half of that, but I get the gist...I'm actually surprised you hadn't said anything earlier, y'know, a lot of kids look up to me, I know there's all those fanpages out there-"

"I'm not a kid, though, and this is serious!"

" _Let me talk_ , Peter. I know, I get it, I can tell. That's just my way of buying time so I can think about whether I want to ruin your life or not." Tony chuckled pitifully for himself. "...I like you too, kid-.  _God_ I gotta change that, it's just my brain reminding me of the huge fucking age gap."

Peter couldn't keep himself from chuckling. He scooted closer. "I kinda like the age gap."

Tony snorted, "Of course you do. You're going to kill me." Tony ran a hand through Peter's hair, trying to smooth it down. "Listen, though. We have to talk seriously about this, it's not just something that-"

"I know, Tony. You're you."

"And knowing that, you still want to be with me?"

Peter nodded, "Yeah. Even before I thought of you that way, I knew I wanted to since the day I took down Toomes. I was pissed at you, but even then I wanted to be by your side...I knew it since the spaceship and Titan, too. I know it now, most of all, in a different way." Peter smiled gleefully at him, but the smile faded a little. "Wait, can you go to jail because of the age thing?"

"Jesus, that _excites_ you? You're killing me here."

Peter laughed, "I never said that, and you know you love-"

Tony leaned forward, grabbed him by the chin, and kissed him to shut him up. It worked well enough. "Now, until we sort things out you gotta sleep in your own room."

Peter looked confused, but the pink in his cheeks showed that he understood the implications. He nodded reluctantly, "Okay...Thank you, Tony. I feel like I'm myself again, y'know, even though I'm not at home and with everything that's happened. So, thanks. Thanks for putting up with me, for letting me sleep here even though it could've ruined your reputation with Steve...I don't think he likes me much."

Well, Tony didn't like the sound of that. He felt like having Peter stay that night just so Steve could see the kid walk out of his room again. Tony then looked at Peter and saw that he was reluctant to leave, although he had gotten up and off the bed. Tony sighed and gestured, "You can stay tonight, but no funny business."

Peter blushed, "None, I promise." He gladly got back in bed and pulled the blanket over him. He didn't hesitate to text Ned about the conversation that had just occurred.

Tony, perhaps against his better judgement, pretended not to notice Ned's icon and the fluttering of Peter's fingers as the kid typed paragraphs.

 


	3. Something Bitter, Something Sweet

It wasn't supposed to happen so often. They were both busy with their lives, and on the few occasions that their lives mixed, they were mostly business. Spider-Man liked to be on his own, but if Iron Man had decided to go after the same guy, well, Spider-Man couldn't argue with it. If there were a few photos of them keeping a boat afloat and stopping a criminal together, then that was fine. Spider-Man would be lying if he said he didn't like the photos of him and Iron Man in iconic fighting stances.

As for Tony Stark and Peter Parker, though, that was different. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, a joke of Tony's that Peter took seriously. He had the excuse of being in the area, so Tony let it slide. He wasn't going to complain about seeing the kid, after all, and Peter was glad to help Tony any way he could. 

Iron Man had dropped by Spider-Man's house one time, and when he tried the coffee the guy had made, Iron Man felt he'd never enjoy coffee that good again.

However, Peter dropped by after a night out on patrol, and he made Tony the best coffee he'd ever had for the second time that week. Pretty soon, Peter was dropping by Tony's private home every so often. The days weren't set, the visits were random and based on whether Tony could handle okay coffee that day or if he just _needed_ better coffee. Tony had a problem, that much was obvious, but so did Peter. Peter knew coffee was an addiction, he wasn't spared from it either.

After a few months of stopping by, a picture came out. Tony Stark near his home, in a pristine suit and tinted sunglasses, laughing as he talked to a boy. The boy had his back turned from the camera, only his skinny jeans and green jacket any indication of who he was, as well as his curly brown hair. The kid was nearly taller than Tony, which helped narrow down the age a little, but people still didn't know who it was.

Tony didn't want great coffee after that, but Peter came over and made some anyway. If hanging out with Tony and talking with him over coffee meant a few pictures of his back would slip, then Peter didn't care, and he didn't care if Tony cared. 

May cared, though, along with Pepper and Ned, once a photo of Peter came out; a real photo, one of him leaving Tony's house (how had the paparazzi found Tony's address?). The picture showed him with his earbuds in, his head down and his hood up, but his face was still visible.

Pepper said no more visits from the kid. Tony said no more _coffee_ from the kid. May said no more Tony at all.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man and Iron Man did their thing. If they both arrived at a hostage situation at the same time, well, that was nobody's business. 

More photos came out, Peter wearing sunglasses and a hat, but it didn't matter when they already knew his face, knew him as Peter Benjamin Parker. Photos meant articles, articles wondering if this was Tony's long-lost kid, or his personal assistant, or maybe one very special intern. Regardless, the kid kept visiting every so often, maybe twice or three times a month.

Tony wondered why Peter didn't use the back door, just to spare his aunt some anxiety. Peter wondered why Tony didn't tell him to go away.

May had given up, knowing that Peter was an adult and knew what he was doing even if it was stupid. She had to let him go eventually. Pepper had given up on telling Tony to talk to the kid about it. Ned was simply intrigued by the visits and what Peter and Tony talked about.

Photos and articles kept arriving. Peter kept dropping by to make coffee. 

Then _the_ photo came out, and the internet hadn't been so crazy since beanie babies. It was a photo of Peter Parker leaving Tony Stark's house, wearing a pair of sunglasses that clearly weren't his, and there were several marks on the kid's neck. Everyone's mind went to one thing: hickeys. The marks faded before Peter could even walk two blocks away, but the photo was there to stay.

May and Pepper were confused and furious. Ned was ecstatic. MJ printed the picture out for blackmail purposes later down the line. Peter was worried by what would happen. Tony was angry, but at himself more than the kid. He made sure to have a chat with him about it, over coffee of course.

For a few weeks, there wasn't another visit from Peter. The weeks then turned to months.

And if Iron Man and Spider-Man pressed their masks together to "kiss" on New Year's, well, the internet didn't mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tony: the internet knows we're a thing  
> peter: then let's break up, and Iron Man and Spider-Man can be together instead


End file.
